Hong Kong, a global gateway city, has long been known as a talent magnet, backed by its thriving economy and strong financial and professional services sectors, wherein annual entries of total expats and non-local university students have averaged more than 50,500 and 17,000 per annum, respectively, in the last decade (2013-2022).
To ensure continued success, Chief Executive John Lee has announced various initiatives to attract and retain talent in his first, and the latest, policy address, to enhance the competitiveness of the city. The number of expats and non-local students are set to continue to grow in the coming years. Currently, the limited availability of on-campus housing, coupled with high living costs in the private residential market, has encouraged the emergence of new niche sectors such as student housing, co-living and multifamily assets in Hong Kong.
“Talent housing” is a term that encompasses types of housing solutions designed to accommodate the needs of different groups of people, including students, young professionals, and expatriates. In this report, we explore the talent housing demand-supply dynamics in Hong Kong, including the government policies implemented to attract talent and expats, an overview of the current public and private-led talent housing landscape in Hong Kong, and an assessment of the investment opportunities available within this emerging niche sector.
